Marking

 Making marks on paper, black olives "as old as water" [Lawrence Durrell].

And a reminder: There are only three days left to enter the craftsy.com giveaway. See my post here.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 This was my second attempt with monoprint. I took my time with it, decided on my subject, then drew and cut the masks, and mixed colours to get orange and blue-grey. I'm really happy with the result and will definitely be continuing.

And two more.

 Wishing you a happy Sunday!


Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 I've always been intrigued by monoprinting. At one time I tried it, using a piece of glass, but it was messy and my results were not good. Because I had some credit at a local store, I decided to get the Gelli printing plate. I made some masks with ordinary paper, cutting out shapes that I wanted to use and gave it a try. I think, with practice, I can really get into this.

First try: keeping it simple.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Yesterday I met an artist whose work totally captured my imagination and heart. When I saw this piece on Etsy (click on the link in the caption), I had a moment of recognition in more ways than one, not least of all the sense of humour in it. And the bonus was that the artist lives right here in Toronto. The painting was within my means, so I purchased it without hesitation.

"Bouffée de chaleur," by Melissa

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Tipis

Tipis on Turtle Island

Friends

The new Sew Somerset arrived today and I was thrilled to see my friend Rachel's work in it. I've known Rachel for some years now and affectionately call her Melted Rachel (she melts fabrics). I love her work and earlier this year, I recommended her to Amanda Belle Nolan, one of the FabEds (fabulous editors) at Stampington.,which has resulted in this article.

I'm also in this issue in a small way, but this is Rachel's moment. I'm so proud of her!

My fleamarket find

For years, I've wanted a little old painting, dimmed by time, to mix in with my newer items. Last Sunday, at Aberfoyle, I spied this little gem. It may not look old in the photo, but in reality, it's darker and murkier-looking. The frame is wood and in great condition, the painting is on masonite and it's signed. It's the back of the painting that's a bit of a mess and that attests to its real age. The price was right (for me). So I brought it home. A week later, I'm still very happy that I didn't pass it by.

I could clean it up, but I'm not going to. There is so much charm in the way it is. When I'm gone, perhaps it will end up at a flea market again, and some tender soul will take it home and cherish it. I hope.

Calligraphy

I've always loved calligraphy, typography and fonts. My maternal grandfather taught me how to write at a very early age: from correctly holding the pen to forming the letters. And when I take the time, I can write fairly well. When I take the time....

I've thought of studying the art of calligraphy, but I'm too impatient, so years ago I bought a calligraphy pen, the kind with ink cartridges, and played with that. I didn't like the ink though, and I've long since lost that pen. A few years ago, I got a dip pen from Curry's and some acrylic ink. Again, I didn't like the ink. Finally I wised up when I saw a little bottle that said "Calligraphy Ink." (Yes, I know, so obvious!)

Today I got a new nib and decided to test both nib and ink on a background painted with acrylics. Eureka! I love the effect. Another obsession is about to begin.

Wishing you all a pleasant long weekend. I will be at the bookstore Saturday and Sunday, and will spend Monday -- you guessed it -- with my pens and ink, scrawling on every bit of paper I can find..........

Omit needless words

“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.” -- William Strunk Jr.